Lady Colts Stick It to Holy Trinity, Win First Game of the Season

With a combined eight goals from Diandra Hanna and Jessica Teves, along with superb goaltending by the duo of Kacey Solotoff and Hayley Soloman, the Lady Colts cruised to victory over visiting Holy Trinity yesterday by the score of 14-7.

Hanna, a junior, was able to put five goals past the Holy Trinity goalie and also added one assist. It was the second consecutive non-league game for the Colts, as they lost their first one in a close match to Plainedge on Friday by the score of 11-9. That loss, Hanna said, played a large part in the team's victory on Monday.

"I felt like we were a little upset from our last game and it motivated us to work hard," Hanna said. "We worked well together and we're putting in a lot of new plays in practice and they look better and better each time."

These plays, concocted by head coach James Raucci, stymied the Holy Trinity squad all game long as they had no answer for Calhoun's offensive attack. Raucci was said he was satisfied with his team's play on Monday.

"We played patient and poised for the first time this season," he said. "We moved the ball well through transition, still a little panicked at times but for the most part we were able to control the ball and take our time to find the advantage on the field when we had to."

The teams started out the game going back and forth, as the Titans scored the first and third goals, and Calhoun scored the second and fourth. However, Calhoun would score the next three goals to take a 5-2 lead with 7:30 remaining in the first half. After a goal by Holy Trinity to cut the deficit to two, Calhoun would add two more to make it 7-3. At the end of the half, the Titans were awarded a penalty shot which they converted, and the half ended with Colts in the lead, 7-4.

Hanna scored two first half goals, Teves, a senior, scored one, junior Megan O'Sullivan added one, while senior Danielle Kirby and junior Ava Fitzgerald also added one a piece. Solotoff, a junior, gathered eight saves as goaltender while surrendering four goals.

Calhoun continued to thrive offensively in the second half. While the rain picked up midway through the half, it did not deter the girls as they continued to score consistently. Jessica Teves scored to make it 8-4, and after back-to-back goals by Holy Trinity, Teves would add another to put Calhoun ahead 9-6.

The Titans kept it close as they scored to cut the lead to 9-7 with 16 minutes remaining. However, it was the closest they would come as the Colts scored five straight goals to end the game and take the victory. The last five goals were scored by two players: three from Hanna, and two from senior Erin Green.

The team made a goaltending change for the second half, replacing Solotoff with freshmen goalie Hayley Soloman. Soloman let up just three goals in the half while making seven saves.

Raucci praised the efforts of his two goaltenders on Monday, and emphasized the importance of having depth at the position.

"Having two goalies that are each able to take a half and be able to hold their own is a big thing for the future," Raucci said.

Teves, who scored three goals on the day, credited the all-around effort from the entire team for the victory.

"A lot of the younger players are really helping the team," Teves said. "[Junior] Michaela Buckley really stepped up today and did really awesome on defense. A lot of girls are just looking for the open cuts and Ava Fitzgerald was running up the field for us a lot. So we all just really worked together as a team."

The team will look to build on the victory when they visit MacArthur Wednesday for a 4:30 p.m. start.